A Fire Only Needs A Spark To Ignite
by Hunterjumper2016
Summary: Part 2 of 3. Read Magic Can't Always Save You first, then you'll get what's happening here.
1. Chapter 1: Before the Tour

**Welcome to Part 2 of the EWW/HG trilogy! This part will coincide with Catching Fire.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Every Witch Way or the Hunger Games, nor any of their plots, logos, etc.**

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><p>Chapter 1: Before the Tour<p>

Emma woke on a bright September morning from a surprisingly decent sleep. Ever since she and Jax had returned from the Hunger Games 2 months ago, she had been having nightmares about what had happened in the arena on a regular basis. But today was different for some reason; maybe it was because her father and best friend, Andi, had finally decided to move in with her at the Victor's Circle in one month. Maybe it was because Jax had offered to spend the night in the other room in case she needed him. Maybe it was because she had finally convinced herself that she was never going back into the arena again.

Either way, Emma felt at peace with herself for the first time in months. She climbed out of her bed and crept quietly to Jax's room. She opened the door as quietly as possible, yet Jax still heard her and tele-transported out of his bed and right in front of her,"You know, many people consider it rude to enter a room without knocking first, Em." her boyfriend smiled warmly at the look of surprise on Emma's face.

"Jax!" Emma yelled softly, trying to avoid being heard by anyone outside,"Remember what Lily said, no magic at all. We can't get in deeper trouble than we're already in." Jax laughed softly and took Emma in his arms,"I know, but you have to push the boundaries sometimes, right?" Emma smiled into his broad chest, she wished that she could have just stayed there, in Jax's arms forever. But Jax broke away, he had a strange look on his face, Emma was confused,"Jax? What's wrong?"

"Someone's coming up the walkway, someone bad. I can feel it, like its a sixth sense, or something." Just then Emma started to feel something too, it was like a pulse of energy was hitting her body, in similar fashion to footsteps. Jax was right; someone began to knock on the door, Emma rushed down to the front door and opened it, to see President Torres on her doorstep.

"Hello, Ms. Alonso, I believe you know who I am," the woman said in a voice that made Emma shutter,"I was hoping we could talk, just the two of us. Its about your tour next week." Every victor was required to take a victory tour to every Region in Contego to deliver a speech about each of the tributes lost in the arena. Emma stepped aside and spoke quietly,"Yes, of course. Please, come in and make yourself comfortable; we can talk in the parlor." The president walked in and Emma shut the door, fearing what would happen next.

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><p>Emma sat across from the president as she sipped her tea.<p>

"Now, I must congratulate you on your little performance in the arena. You and Mr. Novoa are quite the power couple. And I find it impressive that you didn't need your powers to do it." Emma's heart stopped,"I-uh, you must be mistaken, J-Jax and I don't-" The president stopped her mid-sentence.

"Relax, I won't do anything about it. You have nothing to worry about." President Torres said with a smile. Emma remained tense as the president continued her speech,"Anyway, several of the outlying Regions have been throwing the idea of revolt around and have been putting your name in as well. When you go on tour, I don't want to hear anything that may sound like you or Mr. Novoa are instigating a revolution. I want you to convince me that you have no intention of causing a revolt." Emma didn't respond. She only looked down at her hands and nodded in agreement. The president then stood, placed her teacup on the coffee table and said,"Congratulations once again, Ms. Alonso. Just remember, I'll be watching your tour." then, she left.

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><p>Once she was gone, Jax came down the stairs and into the parlor. He sat next to Emma on the couch and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close.<p>

"I heard everything, Em. Don't worry, it'll be okay."

"I'm not so sure, Jax. She'll be watching our every move on the tour. We can't screw this up or it'll be our heads." Jax continued to hold her as she began to cry. She hadn't felt this terrified since she had volunteered 2 months ago to take Andi's place in the Hunger Games. They stayed on the couch for what seemed like an eternity before Emma broke away sniffling,"We should get changed and talk to Lily about this."

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><p>Emma and Jax strode across the street hand in hand to Lily's home. They walked right through the door, which Lily was always too lazy to lock. They found her passed out on the couch with a bottle of gin in her hand. Jax shook her awake,"Hey, Lily, wake up!" Lily didn't move.<p>

"Em, get a bowl of cold water from the kitchen for me, please." She instantly ran into the kitchen and returned 30 seconds later clutching a bowl. She handed it to Jax,"You might want to step back, love." he then dumped the water on Lily, who woke up with a start.

"HEY! THIS BETTER BE GOOD!"

"Lily, President Torres was just here." Lily stopped and stared at the teens.

"What did she want?"

"She knows about our powers. And she'll be watching our tour to make sure we don't cause a rebellion." Emma said quickly. Lily pondered on this for a minute then spoke with concern in her voice,"We have to make sure that we do everything she wants to see. Which means no magic, no attitude, no nothing. Ramona will write all of your speeches for you and we'll lay low for the tour. But, that's all we can do."

Emma and Jax nodded in agreement. This tour was one that would, if everything went accordingly, blow over before anything severe could be brought to the forefront.


	2. Chapter 2: On The Train Again

**A/N: I'm baaaaccckk! Sorry I haven't updated, but I was off enjoying the Florida sunshine. Anyway, here is the long anticipated Chapter 2.**

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><p>Chapter 2: On The Train Again<p>

Nothing happened for 5 days after President Torres spoke with Emma. There had been preparations for the tour, of course, but there was no interaction between any of the victors other than that. 2 days before the tour, however, Lily came to Emma's doorstep, wanting to meet with her and Jax. They sat in the parlor together in silence.

"I wanted to talk to you two about the tour," Lily finally broke the silence,"You both know what to do, right?" The other victors nodded politely.

"Good, and you know where we'll be going first?" She was met with the same response.

"Okay," silence again," Well, then I guess there's nothing else I can do for you. Enjoy the tour." Lily stood and left. Jax and Emma sat on the couch for a brief moment, holding each other's hand. They didn't say a word to each other; they were too caught up in the thought of what could go wrong in the president's eyes on the tour. What price would they have to pay if they didn't follow her instruction? Losing their families, losing each other? If the president already knew about their powers, would she use it against them?

Finally, Jax stood to leave,"I guess I'll see you tomorrow, Em." He gave her a peck on the cheek,"Love you."

"Love you too." Emma responded with a faint smile as she watched her boyfriend leave. She turned and looked at the clock, it was almost 11:50 and she had promised Daniel that she would meet up with him for lunch on the upper end of the city at 12:15. She quickly showered and got dressed and headed for the town square, where Daniel was waiting with a smile.

"You got lucky. It's almost 12:15, I thought I was going to have to hunt you down myself." Emma laughed, she had missed the fun-loving, humorous Daniel, who had seemed to vanish into the coal mines when he went to work. They had both been lookin forward to this day. Emma had been too busy dealing with interviews to get away for moment and Daniel had to work in the mines; he was surprised by the fact he even got the day off at all.

"Well, let's get going, I'm starving." Daniel led the way to a small bistro on the north side of the square. The square itself was small and rundown, save for a few shops and resturants that were owned by upper class citizens. There were very few people in the square as the friends marched over to the bistro. They sat at a corner booth for 2 hours, just talking and laughing and joking about everything that they could think of.

After their meal, Emma and Daniel strode to the small park across from the bakery where Jax had once worked. The two friends stopped by a small grove of oak trees and sat down. Daniel spoke suddenly,"So, how are you and Jax doing? You know, are you happy with him?"

Emma nodded,"We're great, actually. We have more in common than you would think. He's sweet and is always there to talk when I need him. He'll always be there for me, just like I'll be there for hi-" Emma was cut off by Daniel, who had just collided lips with her. When he broke away, he looked down at the ground and said quietly,"Sorry, Emma. But I just had to do that at least once." With that, the boy stood and left. Emma was still dazed by what had just happened. Nevertheless, she stood and walked back to the Victors' Circle, where she was greeted by Jax, Lily and Ramona. Ramona gave her an awkward hug while saying that the Victory Tour this year would be 'unforgettable'. Emma knew that she was right, but it would be for the wrong reasons.

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><p>Emma couldn't stop thinking about what had happened between her and Daniel, two days ago. She was sitting in the dining car on the train that would take them to their first stop on heir Victory Tour, Region 11. It was the same place that Emma's two temporary allies had come from, Sophie and Thresh. But that wasn't what Emma was concerned about, she wasn't thinking about what look she may receive from the families of the lost tributes or if they would call her and Jax out for letting their relatives die, she was only concerned about Daniel."<em>Has he liked me this entire time?" <em>Emma kept asking herself over and over,"_or did he start after I left for the arena?" _

Just then, Jax strode into the car and sat down across from Emma, who was still lost in thought.

"Uh, Emma? Hey, earth to Emma! Em," he gave her a gentle tap on the shoulder, causing her to finally respond to him.

"Oh, sorry, Jax. I was just thinking about something."

"What?" Jax was intrigued, which was what Emma was afraid of.

"Oh, nothing really, just- wondering what Region 11 is going to look like. You know, what's going to happen when we arrive."

Luckily, Jax believed her white lie,"Ah, okay. Well, we're going to be arriving in about an hour, you better get ready." Jax smiled at Emma and left. Shortly after, Emma did the same.

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><p>An hour later, the train pulled into a rickety, old train station in Region 11. 11 was one of the outlying Regions and it was, by far, the poorest of them all. The Region was responsible for agriculture which included fruits, vegetables and nuts. Emma thought she knew what to expect, but what she saw, blew all of her original thoughts away.<p> 


	3. Chapter 3: Region 11 And Its Troubles

**So what did you guys think of Chapter 2? Not bad after being gone for 2 weeks. :)**

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><p>Chapter 3: Region 11 And Its Troubles<p>

Emma stood on the train platform in Region 11, mouth agape. She was filled with different thoughts and emotions about what she saw. Disgust, sympathy, fear, sadness, they all were visible in 11. The train station itself was in dire need of improvement. What should have been white tile on the walls, matched Emma's mocha brown eye color. The floors were cracked and had moss growing in them. The roof sounded as though it may collapse at the slightest nudge. Jax was staring wide eyed at the station as well, but when Lily and Ramona stepped off the train, they ignored the horrid site and shoved the two new victors into a Centroid car that would take them to the square where they would speak to the people of Region 11.

"Here, take these," Ramona handed Jax and Emma each a set of note cards,"each card has a speech for a different Region, the one on top is for 11. Emma will speak first and Jax will follow." The victors nodded in understanding just as the car came to a stop. A peacekeeper opened the door and offered his hand to help Emma out of the car. She unwillingly took it and stepped out into the bleak sunlight behind the Region's Overseer's office building. They were brought inside and told to wait behind a set of large oak doors that were most likely, the only new thing in the entire Region. While in the car, Emma was able to see that Region 11 was more than just poor, it was impoverished. There were children starving, crops that were small in size and number, the water looked like mud. Emma felt horrible and wished that she could do something, anything, to help these people. But she couldn't, at least, not now while the president was watching.

Jax took hold of Emma's hand, sensing her unease,"Scared much?"

"Try terrified. She's watching our every move, Jax. One slip-up and we're finished."

"I know, Em. Don't worry, if you get nervous, look at me, I'll help you." The wizard smiled warmly at Emma as the oak doors opened wide to reveal a stage with two podiums. The podiums faced a massive crowd of poor farmers, gatherers and fruit vendors who had come to see the victors. There was no applause. Emma and Jax walked to the podiums hand in hand, only letting go when they reached their destination. Emma lowered the microphone in front of her and, glancing at her card, began to read.

"Hello, my name is Emma Alonso. First, and foremost, I would like to extend my thanks to you, the people of Region 11, for welcoming us here. Today is a day to remember those that your Region have lost." Emma couldn't stand reading from a script any longer and so spoke from her heart,"I didn't know Thresh well, but if it hadn't been for him, neither Jax nor myself would be standing in front of you today. For that, I am forever grateful. I first met Sophie on the training floor and I didn't meet her again until after she saved me from a swarm of Jackers. She was crafty and stealthy and she didn't deserve to die the way she did. And everyday I think about both Thresh and Sophie and the sacrifices they took to save Jax and I." Emma stopped then just as she began to tear up and nodded to Jax for him to begin speaking.

"Thank you, Emma. As mentioned before, my name is Jax Novoa." He was confident in his speaking and had a relaxed feeling about him,"I didn't know either of these tributes as Emma did, but after hearing from her about what they did in the arena, I think of them as friends who anyone would be lucky to have. Thresh and Sophie may be gone from our world, but they aren't gone from our hearts. They will forever live in our memories as heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice, and for that, both Emma and I are eternally grateful. Thank you." Jax offered Emma his hand once again. As they turned to leave, however, they heard someone yelling in the crowd,"LONG LIVE THE MOCKINGJAY!" Emma turned to see an old man being carried onto the stage by two Peacekeepers, he was still yelling as he was dropped onto the stage floor. Peacekeepers continued to push the victors inside the Overseer's building as a Peacekeeper Sergeant walked over to the man, drew his pistol and-

"BANG!" The shot rang out as the oak doors closed behind Emma and Jax. Emma hadn't realized that she was crying until she and Jax met Lily and Ramona in the car. Lily spoke softly,"I'm guessing it didn't go as planned?"

Jax wrapped his arm around Emma to comfort her,"It did at first, but there are still people who believe Emma is going to lead a rebellion. That's why there was a gun shot."

"Don't worry, Emma. 11 has always been unstable, there should be smooth sailing for the rest of the tour." Ramona said with a fake smile on her face. She knew as well as anyone else that this tour would be anything but smooth.

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><p>Back on the train, Emma sat alone on her bed with her knees pulled up to her chin. She couldn't stop thinking about what had happened in 11 a few hours ago. She finally decided that it would be best to talk to someone about it. Someone who she knew would understand. Emma rose from her bed and walked over to Jax's bedroom door. She knocked three times and waited. Finally, Jax appeared in the doorway.<p>

"Em? What time is it? Shouldn't you be asleep?" Jax was still groggy with sleep, Emma grabbed him anyways and dragged him into the empty living car. He sat down on the couch, now fully awake,"Again, why aren't you in bed?"

Emma plopped down next to him and sighed,"Couldn't sleep. I just needed someone to talk to. You were the first one to come to my mind."

"Alright, what'd you wanna talk about?"

"What happened today. I still can't wrap my head around it. It seems like it was kinda like a nightmare that I never woke up from." Emma looked at Jax with wide eyes. He only nodded slightly,"I understand; I feel the same way, but I don't want you to linger on it, Em. That's all that these victors do is linger on everything that happened to them. Its why Lily drinks and why so many of them become addicts. We still have a life to live, Em. Don't let the past stop you from living it."

Emma smiled and gave her boyfriend a hug,"Thanks, Jax. You always seem to know what to say."

"No problem, babe." He gave her a gentle kiss on her forehead,"Now, go get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning." The pair of lovers then went their separate ways down the bedroom car only to meet again a few hours later.

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><p>Emma had had another nightmare. She woke up screaming and, as he usually did in 12, Jax ran in to hold her and calm her down. Emma buried her head in Jax's bare chest and cried as he rocked her gently.<p>

"Its alright, Em. You just had another bad dream. Everything's okay." He whispered calmly. Once she had stopped crying, Jax did what he would always do; he climbed under the covers with her and held her close as she fell asleep in his arms. Emma was always able to sleep sound when Jax was there. And she knew that he would always be the first thing she saw when she opened her eyes in the morning.


	4. Chapter 4: 10 to 1 and the Centroid

**Awww... don't you just love Jemma? So cute! There's gonna be some Demma vs. Jemma coming in a few chapters guys. But for now, let's just get through the tour in one piece.**

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><p>Chapter 4: 10 to 1 And The Centroid<p>

The following morning, Emma woke to the sight she had expected. Jax was still asleep with Emma in his arms. She peered over him to see that the clock on her nightstand read 8:36. They had slept in, but it didn't matter; they wouldn't arrive in Region 10 until the following morning. Emma gently shook Jax awake, which he was not entirely excited about.

"Emma," he whined,his eyes still closed,"what? Why'd you have to wake me up? I was so comfortable." Emma rolled her eyes,"Jax, let me go. Unlike you, I don't want to be grilled by Ramona about sleeping in and being late for breakfast." After hearing that remark, Jax shot out bed carrying Emma bridal style to the door. He peered out to make sure no one was there, then proceeded to carry her to his room. He dumped her on his bed and grabbed a shirt from his dresser.

"Uh-why are we in your room?" Emma was confused,"I thought we were going to breakfast."

"We are," Jax pulled something out of the top drawer on his dresser and walked over to Emma,"but first-" he handed her a black box as he sat down next to her,"I wanted to give you this."

He opened the box and revealed a beautiful necklace. The chain was gold and from it hung a heart which was embedded with diamonds and pieces of purple amethyst on the edges. In the middle, an 'E' was engraved in cursive.

"Jax- its beautiful! I love it!" Emma was amazed by the extravagant gift.

"That's not even the best part. Watch this." Jax opened the heart to reveal a photo of Jax and Emma that had been taken shortly after they had returned from the arena. Both of them were smiling as they faced each other. Jax had his hands on her waist and she had her hands on his shoulders while their foreheads touched, as if about to kiss.

Emma was speechless. She smiled when she finally found her voice,"Thank you so much! I love it," she gave Jax a hug and kissed him softly,"I love you, Jax." He grinned,"I love you, too. And I'm hoping you'll wear it at the Centroid gala. I think that you would rather wear this than a pair of fancy shoes or a charm bracelet." She nodded excitedly and leaned in for another kiss. Jax welcomed it gladly as he blindly closed the locket and its box and set it down on the bed. His hands then slid to Emma's waist as her's moved through his hair. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. The lovers broke away quickly as Jax ran to the door to greet a perturbed Lily.

"Oh, uh- hey, Lily." Lily was looking right into his soul with a look that said that no matter how much he tried to cover it up, she knew what he and Emma had been doing.

"Don't waste your breath. Grab your girlfriend and get your butts to the breakfast table. Ramona and I need to talk to you." When Lily had gone, Emma stood holding the jewelry box and walked with Jax to the dining car. Ramona was surprisingly quiet when the victors arrived. Lily was pouring gin into her coffee while she spoke,"I'm guessing that you two lovebirds know that the president isn't buying what you're selling right now. You need to think of something that will draw the people's attention away from rebellion. Start brainstorming."

Jax filled his plate with pancakes, bacon and eggs as he pondered. Emma took small bites from a muffin as she absorbed what had just been said. Jax was drawing a blank.

"I can't think of anything. No matter what, they'll find a way to rebel."

An idea came to Emma, it may have been crazy, but would work,"We could get married." Everyone stopped and stared at Emma,"Everyone loved the star-crossed lovers a few months ago. They would go nuts over a wedding."

Lily nodded,"You know, that would probably work. Jax, you okay with this?" Jax was still staring at Emma in surprise. Married? He had hoped that he would someday, but he wanted it to be real, not some show to appease the government. But if it kept them safe, he would do it.

"Yeah. Let's do it. I can propose at the Centroid, during the victor interview. They'll love it." He turned back to his plate and continued to eat.

"Then its settled, you two can 'tie the knot' after the tour." Lily and Ramona then stood and left Emma and Jax alone. It was quiet for a while before Emma finally spoke,"Not exactly the way I planned to get married. But it should keep them quiet for a while."

Jax only looked at his plate. Emma rested her hand on his shoulder, silently begging for him to respond. When he did, his voice was shaky,"All my life, I had wanted to get married and settle down. I didn't want it to be a show like this. You probably feel the same way." Emma nodded in agreement when he looked up at her,"I just wish that it didn't have to happen like this." Emma moved her hand from his shoulder to his hand and rested her head on his shoulder in its place.

"I don't want it to happen like this either. But it'll keep us safe." Emma kissed Jax on his cheek before she stood to leave. After he cleared his plate, Jax left as well, leaving the dining car empty.

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><p>The next day, Jax and Emma were woken up by the alarm clock at 6 in the morning. They had decided that, with what was to come, it would be best to just share a room. Lily and Ramona didn't protest, they knew that the teens had shared a bed before. The teens showered and changed into their formal clothes for Region 10. They ate breakfast with their mentor and escort in silence, then waited for the train to stop at the Region 10 station.<p>

The train arrived at the station an hour later and, like before, they were brought to the Overseer's building in a Centroid car. Emma noticed that 10 was better off than 11, they had clean water and didn't appear to be starving, but there was still a need for improvements. The air smelled of horse, cow, and pig due to the Region's main export of livestock. On the stage in the square, Emma and Jax read the speeches they had been given word for word. They received a small applause as they walked away.

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><p>Regions 9, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 had the same reaction as 10. Region 8, however, was a mess to say the least. Before Emma could even say a word, the victors had to be brought back to the train. People were clawing their way to the stage and screaming death threats to Centroid officials. Many were yelling,"LONG LIVE THE MOCKINGJAY!" as well. The Peacekeepers had moved the victors onto the train before gunshots were audible. But after that, there had been no sign of resistance in any of the other Regions.<p>

The train was currently approaching the Centroid, every tour ended with a gala at the president's mansion. Before the gala, the victors would attend an interview with Gigi Rueda. When the train arrived, the victors had to use the Peacekeepers as human shields in order to avoid being torn limb from limb by Centroid citizens. They climbed into a car and sped over to the studio for the interview. Jax and Lily had had an engagement ring made in Region 1 before arriving in the Centroid. He now carried the ring in his coat pocket. Even though he knew that it was all a show, the wizard couldn't help but feel nervous. They had gone over the plan several times before they had come but Jax could feel himself slowly falling apart. After donning his interview attire, a black tailcoat and pants with a matching bow-tie, Jax met Emma, who was wearing a royal blue gown. The gown had diamonds cascading across from her right shoulder to her skirt, giving it the appearance of a shooting star.

"Blue looks good on you, Em." Jax smiled at his 'fiancee-to-be'. She returned his smile,"Thanks. You're not too shabby either." The boy chuckled at this. He was about to say something but was dragged onto the stage before he could.

"Welcome back, Jax! Its great to see you." Gigi walked Jax over to his chair to begin the interview,"Let's get started, shall we?"

"Actually, Gigi, before we begin, there's something I want to do." There was no going back now."I want to invite my fellow victor, Emma Alonso, onto the stage for a moment." Emma walked out onto the stage. Jax began his mini-speech,"Emma, I have loved you since the day we first met. I can't imagine my life without you," he bent down on one knee and pulled out the ring,"will you marry me?" Emma was shocked at the sight of the ring. She nodded and hugged Jax. The crowd went wild as Jax slid the ring on her left ring finger. _"There's no way that this could fail now."_ Emma began to feel a wave of relief as she left Jax and Gigi to their interview.

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><p>That evening, Jax and Emma arrived at the presidential mansion in a limo. They had changed into different attire and Emma was wearing both the locket and ring that Jax had given her. She wore a strapless gown that was amethyst purple with diamond embellishments on the bodice. Jax wore a tailcoat similar to what he wore earlier except he had an amethyst bow-tie and a violet rose pinned on his coat. The couple was escorted to the gardens where they were greeted by Centroid officials, Gamemakers and first-class Centroid citizens. There were at least 10 tables with various foods and drinks on them and a 32-piece orchestra was playing. President Torres and an middle-aged man approached the victors once they were seated.<p>

"Ms. Alonso, Mr. Novoa, welcome back to the Centroid." The president said with a smile. "Allow me to introduce you to Agamemnon, the new Head Gamemaker." Agamemnon extended his hand to Jax and then to Emma,"Its an honor and a pleasure to meet you." He had a very heavy British accent. The victors returned the remark and Agamemnon turned to head to the dance floor, leaving President Torres to speak with Emma and Jax.

"Congratulations on your engagement. You were able to convince the entire nation that you aren't rebelling. But I'm not as easily swayed. I won't do anything now, but just wait. Once this is all blown over, I will exert my power as discreetly as I can." The woman turned to leave, but said first,"Congratulations, once again."

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><p>After the gala, Jax, Emma, Lily and Ramona all boarded the train one last time to return to Region 12. Once she was changed, Emma broke down on her bed. They hadn't been convincing enough. The president was going to do everything she could to torment Emma and Jax as much as possible. Jax came in and sat next to her. He wrapped his arms around her and let her cry on his shoulder.<p>

"We-we were so close, Jax. I th-thought that it w-would work." Emma choked out. Jax rubbed her back to calm her down,"I know. But it'll be okay. If we have to, we'll leave Contego. We can transport to another place in the world. I won't let anything happen to you, I promise." He reassured her as she cried. After she ran out of tears, Emma fell asleep on Jax's chest. He turned out the light and continued to hold her in the darkness as he began to cry.


	5. Chapter 5: What The Envelope Contained

**Here comes the Demma/Jemma drama, folks!**

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><p>Chapter 5: What The Envelope Contained<p>

The train was almost at the Region 12 station when Emma woke up. Jax had been able to sneak out of bed and get dressed without waking Emma. He was standing in front of the mirror, fixing his hair. "Mornin', beautiful. Looks like you slept well." Emma didn't respond right away, she was still waking up. Jax smiled,"You might want to get going. The train is almost at the station."

Emma's eyes grew wide with surprise and she stumbled out of bed. "Why didn't you wake me up when you did? Do you enjoy watching me scramble around?" Jax was laughing his head off, causing Emma to glare at him.

"Relax, Em. You have about 2 hours to get ready. And, to answer your questions, first of all, after everything that happened last night, I figured you would've been better off staying in bed for a few hours longer. Second, you look adorable when you scramble, so yes, I do enjoy it." Jax continued to laugh as Emma smacked him on the arm,"But I know you love me anyway." Jax pulled Emma close and gave her a kiss. She broke away as Jax tried to deepen the kiss.

"Nice try. But you'll have to wait until after we get home." Emma smirked as she walked into the bathroom to shower. After getting dressed, Emma went to breakfast table and saw that no one was there. _"__They must have all gone to the living car to wait for the train to pull in." _Emma thought to herself as she sat down and began to fill her plate with french toast and fruit salad. When she was content, the witch went to the living car where everyone was talking about the upcoming Quarter Quell. Every 25 years, a Quarter Quell was held; the original Centroid government established that each Quell would be unique to the other Games. The last victor to win a Quell had been Lily herself, when there had been twice as many tributes as normal. Now, Jax and Lily were discussing the possibilities for this year's Quell.

"They could have two separate arenas. You know, when there are only twelve tributes left, they could move them to another arena-"

"That's very unlikely. They wouldn't waste time building two arenas at once. The Gamemakers are already under fire with the president after what happened last year."

Emma was confused and wanted to know more,"What do you mean 'under fire'? What happened?"

Lily looked at Emma with an expressionless face,"You two happened." Emma still had a confused look on her face so Lily continued to explain,"After Seneca Crane named you and Jax victors, the president was _not_ happy. She took him into her office a few days after we got back to 12 and he was never seen again. That's how Agamemnon became Head Gamemaker." Emma nodded with understanding, while Jax only looked blankly at his folded hands. He was being unusually quiet and seemed to be isolating himself from Emma. She noticed this and called him on it,"Jax? Are you okay? You haven't said a word since I walked in the room."

Jax looked up at Emma with sad eyes, like he knew something that he didn't want to know. He stood and asked if Emma would follow him to a place where they could talk privately. When they arrived at their destination, the empty dining car, Jax sat across from Emma and took a deep breath before speaking,"I know that Daniel kissed you in the park, Emma."

Her eyes grew wide with fear. How could he have known? He wasn't there with them. She hadn't seen him anywhere near the square while with Daniel.

"H-how do you kno-"

"I was on my way to visit my father. He had wanted to talk to me about loaning him some money since the bakery hadn't been doing so well. I was walking through the square when I saw Daniel kiss you. I stared for a moment, then I kept on walking. I thought you were going to tell me." Jax looked away for a moment; he didn't want to meet Emma's mocha eyes yet. Emma reached for his hand across the table,"Jax, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I didn't think that you would take it like this. I thought you would be hunting Daniel down the second that you found out. I feel awful for not telling you right away."

"Its okay, Em. I'm not gonna hunt him down. I just want an explanation from him, you know. I want to know why he did it. Then, I'll leave him alone." Just then, the train came to a stop at the Region 12 station. Emma and Jax stood and headed towards the platform hand in hand. When they reached the platform, there was no one there to greet them or welcome them home. There was no Centroid car, no Peacekeepers, only an empty road. The couple shrugged this off and started walking home to the Victor's Circle anyway. As they passed through the town square they saw that there were armored Peacekeepers everywhere. They were standing outside shops, they were in the park, they were arresting someone who was trying to steal a wallet from one of the shopkeepers. Suddenly, there was an intense shriek that rang out through the square. Everyone stopped. Then the scream came again. And again. And again.

People began running towards the source of the screaming, carrying Jax and Emma with them. Once they found where the yells of pain and fear where coming from, everyone gasped at _who_ it was that was in such pain. Emma managed to push her way to the front of the crowd to find Daniel tied to a whipping post. His shirt had been torn from his back, which was covered in bright red blood and lash marks. The culprit for these marks appeared to be a Peacekeeper colonel, who was holding a cat-of-nine-tails whip in his hand. Daniel was pale and looked about to faint as Emma rushed to save her friend from another strike.

"NO! PLEASE! LET HIM GO!" The colonel was surprised at the sudden intervention. "How dare you! You need to learn to keep your mouth shut! This boy was attempting to instigate rebellion and he is now being given the proper punishment. You, like him, need to learn where your place is." He raised the whip to strike Emma, but the strike never came.

Instead, Lily was holding the colonel's arm back. "Whoa, there. Do you know who this is? This is Emma Alonso. The sweetheart of the Centroid. Now, I don't think it would reflect well on you if you were to be remembered as the man who beat the Centroid's girl on fire." Lily was speaking wisely. She knew how to handle situation, and she was handling it well. The colonel begrudgingly lowered the whip.

"That's better. Now, let that boy go, he's had his share of suffering for one day." The colonel obeyed and untied Daniel who slumped to the ground. Without hesitation, Emma, Lily and Jax all rushed to Daniel's aid and gently lifted him off the ground. They brought him back to his house in the Coal Basket and when his mother saw him, she instantly cleared the kitchen table and called for his younger sister, Mel, to come and help. The victors set their friend on the table and waited for orders from Daniel's mother.

"Mel, Emma, go get some rags from the hamper, make sure they're clean. Jax, I need you to get some water from the pump outside." She handed the wizard an empty bucket and told him where to go. Lily told Mrs. Miller that she would contact the apothecary immediately and left. Shortly after, the girls returned with two piles of clean rags and Jax returned with a pail of cold water. Emma, Mel, and Mrs. Miller all then proceeded to dip the rags in the bucket and clean out Daniel's wounds. Then, Jax remembered something that he and Emma had done in the arena when they were hurt. He excused himself to an empty hallway and tele-transported to his house in the Victor's Circle. When he had found what he needed he returned to the hallway in the Miller house and walked back into the kitchen.

"Here, use this on the lashes. Its the medicine that Emma used to treat my burns in the arena. I kept it in case we would ever need it." Mrs. Miller took the container gladly from Jax and thanked him. Emma smiled at Jax, he truly had a heart of gold.

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><p>A few hours later, the bleeding had finally slowed enough that Mrs. Miller was able to apply the salve to Daniel's injuries. Once that was done, she told Emma and Jax that they could head home and thanked them for their help. Once outside, Jax took Emma's hand and tele-transported them home. They went over to Jax's house and sat down in the parlor. It was almost 6:00, which meant that the Quarter Quell requirements would be aired soon. Jax turned on the TV and they both leaned in to hear what would happen this year. Finally, the Centroid emblem appeared and so did President Torres. She was holding a beaten, old envelope that contained the requirements. She began her speech,<p>

"Good evening. This is President Torres. As you all know, after the Rebellion, the Centroid government established the Hunger Games as a way to show their generosity to the Regions who had tried to overthrow them. It was decided that every 25 years, a Quarter Quell would take place, with different requirements than the standard Games. In 10 months, the 3rd Quarter Quell will take place. I now hold in my hands the requirements for that Quell." She opened the envelope and a pulled out a card and began to read it,"For the 3rd Quarter Quell, as a way to show that even our strongest cannot succumb to the power of the Centroid, every Region shall draw two of its own remaining victors to return to the arena again." The screen faded to black and Jax turned the TV off. Emma and Jax were frozen. They were going back. They would have to relive the fear all over again. They both knew that Emma would volunteer to stay with Jax if Lily was picked. They both knew that their nightmare had only begun. And they had only just begun to see the light too.


	6. Chapter 6: Back Into Hell's Fire

**Who else watched the Season 3 premiere last night? What a cliffhanger!**

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><p>Chapter 6: Back Into Hell's Fire<p>

The months that passed were nothing but torture for the residents of the Victor's Circle. Jax and Emma decided that they would 'marry' in secret. Lily hadn't left her house in the months before the Drawing. There was no point in doing so, she didn't want to receive any sympathy. So she sat in her home and drank until she ran out of gin or passed out on the couch. Emma's nightmares became more and more torturous. Jax had been there to hold her, but even he couldn't make the horrid images disappear. Jax soon began to have nightmares too. After one particularly bad dream, Emma found him crying into his shirt. She had never seen him cry before and she was terrified for him. She was terrified period.

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><p>When the Drawing Day finally came, Emma, Jax and Lily walked in silence to the Overseer's building where they were met by Emma's father, Andi, Daniel and Jax's father. Francisco gave his daughter a hug and whispered,"I'm so proud of you, Em. Your mother would be too. I'll miss you so much."<p>

"I'll miss you too, Dad." Emma broke from her father's embrace and turned to her friends. Andi spoke first,"Em, I-I just wanted to say that you're the greatest friend a person could ask for. Thank you so much for being my friend." The friends hugged briefly before Emma turned her attention to Daniel, who had recovered fully from his injuries after a few months of treatment.

"Emma, you're a great friend. I know that you're in good hands," he looked at Jax and smiled,"good luck." Emma and Daniel hugged and she heard him whisper,"I love you, Em. Stay safe." She broke his hug and waited for Jax to finish speaking with his father. Jax looked at the ground as he spoke to his father for the last time.

"Jax, I know that you think of me as an enemy. But I couldn't be more proud to call you my son." Jax snapped his head up in shock. His father was proud of him for the first time in his life. He didn't know what else to do other than accept his father's outstretched hand. "Thank you, sir. I'm glad to know that you feel that way." A few seconds later, a bell tolled signaling the start of the Drawing. The group walked solemnly to the stage and stood to await the inevitable.

Ramona was not her usual eccentric self today. She had grown somewhat close to the victors over the past year and was unhappy to see them be thrown back into hell's fire again. She read her speech and began the Drawing.

"Shall we start with the boys?" Ramona walked over to the blue glass bowl and pulled out the only strip of paper in it,"Jax Novoa." Jax walked up the stage steps and stood on Ramona's right side as she walked to the pink bowl.

"Now for the ladies," She picked one of the two strips and read the name,"Lil-"

"I volunteer!" Emma raised her hand and strode up the stage steps to Ramona's left side. Emma and Jax shook hands as custom dictated and then stepped into the car parked next to the stage. They got to the train station with Lily and Ramona a few minutes later.

Once on board, the group went to the living car and began to watch Region 12 disappear again.

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><p>Later that evening, Lily brought Emma and Jax into the living car and turned on the TV. Lily began to show the two teens the Drawings from the other Regions.<p>

"For Region 1, you have to deal with Gloss and Cashmere. They're a brother and sister who won two consecutive years. Make sure you avoid rubbing them the wrong way." Gloss was a huge beast of a man with a crew cut and rippling muscles. Cashmere was lithe and flawless except for the small scar that ran down her left cheek. The Region 2 Drawing then came on,"For Region 2, Brutus and Enobaria. Living demons. Stay as far away from them as possible." Enobaria had appeared normal, until she opened her mouth. Jax shifted uncomfortably,"Uh, what's up with her teeth?" Her teeth had the appearance of shark's teeth, serrated and coming to a point.

"She had them filed that way so that she could rip out her victims' throats with her teeth. She's insane. Stay away." There was no need to tell them twice.

"Region 3 has Beetee Latier and Wiress. These two are like extreme super geniuses. They are good allies to make. Recognize that face?" Lily pointed to a young man from Region 4 who had just been chosen.

"Diego Rueda. Isn't he Gigi's half-sister?" Jax and Emma knew who he was since he had won only 3 years prior to the Quell. Not only that, but Diego was one of the youngest tributes to ever win the Games at the age of 14.

"He has the same last name as her, but no. They aren't related. Moving on, the other tribute-, victor-, whatever, is Mags. She was Diego's mentor." The couple watched as a girl with long blonde hair was selected. Just then, a woman who appeared to be about 75 years old, raised her hand to take the girl's place.

Emma recognized the blonde because she had won the year before she and Jax did,"Isn't that Maddie VanPelt? Didn't she have a nervous breakdown after she came back from the arena?" Lily nodded,"Yes. She had it rough. Actually, Diego was the one who helped her recover. He refused to leave her side unless it was absolutely necessary. She's still a bit unstable when Diego isn't around. But Mags, she won the Games about 58 years ago. If you want to play it smart, become friends with those two. They know what they're doin'."

After watching Regions 5 and 6, a familiar face appeared on screen. "Katie Rice. She won two years before you did. And Blight. He isn't really capable of making it far now. He's a bit of a junkie which makes him kinda- dopey." The other Regions were nothing but a blur until, finally, the screen went black.

"Its getting late, you two should get some sleep. G'night." The mentor left to go to the bar car. Emma and Jax quickly cast spells to change into pajamas and went back to their room. They didn't say a word to each other, but could tell that the other was both terrified and sad. They slept in each other's arms that night, hoping that it would be enough to keep the approaching fires of hell at bay.


	7. Chapter 7: Reunions and New Friends

**Sorry I haven't updated in a few days. Here's a new chapter to appease you.**

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><p>Chapter 7: Reunions and New Friends<p>

The sun was shining early the following morning and it woke Emma and Jax before the alarm clock went off. They remained silent as they dressed, ate breakfast and joined Lily in the living car.

"I just wanted to let you know that Cinna and Portia are going to be your stylists again. They requested to work with you." Lily broke the awkward silence with something that would, hopefully, bring the not so happy couple out of their depression. Emma perked up and the sound of Cinna's name. She had missed her stylist, who had quickly become one of her dearest friends. Jax's mood also seemed to lighten when he heard the names; he liked Cinna and thought that Portia was a great stylist as well.

"I had a feeling you two would be happy to know that." Lily had a smug look on her face. Ramona barged in shortly after,"We're almost there! Make sure you smile when we get off the train. There are going to be camera crews there filming your arrival."

Sure enough, when the train pulled into the station, there was a massive crowd of people waiting to catch a glimpse of the star-crossed lovers from Region 12. There were camera crews and photographers coming out of the woodwork, snapping pictures and calling out questions. The team stepped off of the train and onto the platform beaming. Emma and Jax walked with linked arms, smiling and waving, giving each other an occasional kiss to appease the masses. After managing to squeeze their way through the crowd, the group climbed into their car and sped off to the hotel. Emma noticed that there were many Centroid children who had donned similar hairstyles to Emma and Jax. Girls had the same braid as Emma had worn in the arena and boys had spiked the front of their hair like Jax. _'We're making an even bigger impact here than we thought,' _Emma noted silently as the car came to a halt in front of the same hotel that they had stayed in a year ago. As always, the victors, now tributes once more, were brought to the second floor, where Cinna and Portia were waiting. Emma met Cinna with a hug.

"It's so good to see you again, Emma. I'm sorry about everything that's happened to you recently; Lily told us everything." Cinna said as he returned Emma's embrace.

"It's great to see you too." Emma smiled and ended the hug. Jax walked over and greeted Cinna as Emma greeted Portia. The tributes then returned to their respective stylists and went their separate ways to discuss the plans for the parade that night. As Cinna led her to her changing room, Emma caught a glimpse of Diego Rueda speaking with Lily as though they had been old friends. She also saw Katie Rice leaving her changing room to meet her fellow tribute, Blight, at the elevator. Finally, they came to the changing room and shut the door behind them. Cinna and Emma sat across from each other.

"You know that we blew everyone away last year. And we're gonna do the same this year." Cinna smiled and so did Emma. She knew that Cinna and Portia were going to make sure that Emma and Jax would be burned into the minds of every single person in Contego.

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><p>Similar to what they had worn last year, Emma and Jax were dressed in black. Emma wore a long and flowing dress that had black lace on the corset. Jax wore black pants and a black shirt with a matching vest. They both had black crowns on to represent their crowning victory the previous year. These articles of clothing would be set on fire using the same synthetic flame that Cinna and Portia had created for last year's parade. Just as the tributes began to climb into their chariots, Emma heard a voice behind her,"Hey, you're Emma, right?"<p>

Emma turned and came face to face with Diego Rueda. He was only a few inches taller than Emma and he wasn't wearing a shirt. Instead, Diego wore only a gladiator's skirt which had bronze plates that overlapped each other to resemble fish scales. He had a warm smile as he waited for Emma to respond.

"Uh-, yeah, that's me. And you're Diego, right?" Emma smiled back at the 17 year old. His eyes were brown, not chocolate brown like Jax's, but more of a russet brown.

"Yep, I've heard a lot about you. I still can't believe that you were willing to kill yourself to prove those pinheads wrong." Jax had arrived at his girlfriend's side when Diego finished his remark.

"What's going on here?" Jax was eyeing Diego. The Region 4 tribute took a step back and held his hands up in surrender,"Hey, you have nothin' to worry about, Novoa. It is Novoa, right? Jax? Anyway, my girl is cheering me on back in 4. Emma's all yours. It was nice meeting you though." Diego gave a slight wave and walked over to his chariot. Emma turned to her boyfriend and gave him a look that said 'C'mon, really? You know that I love you too much to even think about letting him go any further than a simple conversation with me.'

"Em, don't give me that look." Jax smiled playfully as he climbed into the chariot. Emma followed him,"Well, I was trying to make an ally, so if he hunts you down, it's all your fault." Her boyfriend rolled his eyes as the chariot began to pull away. Cinna lit the couple on fire as they were brought out onto the parade route. The crowd went nuts as Emma and Jax came into view. They practically exploded when the couple leaned in for a kiss.

The two magical beings joined the other tributes in a half-moon formation in front of a balcony, where President Torres was standing to present her speech.

"Good evening, tributes, we welcome you back to the Centroid for the 75th annual Hunger Games. This past year has been difficult. Not only for the Regions of Contego, but for the Centroid as well. The Regions have been displaying their concern in an undiplomatic manner. This will not be tolerated. There are other ways to solve our problems. Let us all reflect on this idea as we enter these Games and be thankful for the willingness of these victors to return to the arena. Thank you and happy Hunger Games!"

Torres sat and the chariots returned to the holding floor. The tributes, each of them exhausted, walked to the elevator groggily and stepped out onto their respective floors until only Emma, Jax, Lily, Ramona, Cinna and Portia remained. They finally reached the 14th floor and headed to their rooms. Jax and Emma changed to pajamas using a quick spell and crawled into their bed. Jax was staring at the ceiling when he asked,"If we didn't have to be here, would you want to settle down and start a family? I know we touched on the thought briefly, but-"

"Yeah, I would. But it would have to be with the right guy." Emma looked at Jax and smiled. Jax smiled,"You know how much I love you?" He kissed her forehead.

"Not as much as I love you." Jax laughed and pulled her to his chest. They fell asleep shortly after and dreamed of what their lives would have been like if they were never chosen for the Quell.


	8. Chapter 8: Training Day One

**I am planning to write a story about Diego's past sometime soon! PM if you have any ideas!**

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><p>Chapter 8: Training Day 1<p>

The alarm clock rang out at 5:45 am. Jax got up and stretched before changing clothes with a wave of his hand. Blue-black magic erupted from his hand as he went from wearing red and blue plaid pajama bottoms to his standard training uniform. He knew that Emma was against the use of magic while in the Centroid, but if the president was going to kill them anyway, he might as well enjoy his gift while he could. While he stood pondering in front of the mirror, Emma sat up in bed, pulled her knees to her chest and sighed.

"Good morning to you, too." Jax said sarcastically. Emma threw a pillow at him, but missed. Defeated, she got up and went into the bathroom to shower and change ito her training uniform. Half an hour later, the couple was seated at the breakfast table, too concentrated on eating to talk. Lily was dragged into the room by Ramona at 7. The latter, usually, was bright-eyed and ready to go by 6:35 and no later. Today, however, she had spent most of her prep-time trying to wake a drunken Lily up. Ramona's hair was a mess and she only had one shoe on, but she still had a smile on her face as she sat down next to Emma. Lily sat across from the tributes, at the opposite end of the table. Training didn't start until 7:15, but Emma decided to go to the training floor early. She excused herself and headed for the elevator. Jax said that he would meet her there, leaving Emma alone. At least, until she was joined by Katie Rice.

"Hey, you're Emma, right?" Katie extended her hand to Emma. They shook hands,"Yeah, Katie, right?"

The girl nodded. The rest of the elevator ride was silent. When they reached the training floor, only half of the tributes were there. Emma saw Beetee and Wiress talking in a hushed manner pointing at the Gamemakers, who were sitting in their observatory. Agamemnon was talking with Julio, the master trainer. The young witch turned and saw Mags and Diego as well, Diego waved at Emma and began to walk towards her.

"Emma, I want you to meet Mags. She was my mentor when I was first sent to the arena." Emma shook hands with the small, elderly woman, who smiled warmly at her and said nothing. Emma then noticed that she had a scar on her neck near where the voice box was located. Emma then realized that Mags was unable to speak.

Brushing these thoughts aside, she smiled back at her as she went to greet Woof, the male tribute from Region 8. Woof was a beefy man, but he kept looking around nervously, as if something may jump out and attack him at any given moment. Diego's gaze followed her,"She's been like my second mother," he commented,"even after I returned to 4, she always had an eye out for me. She was the one that introduced me to Maddie." He smiled at the thought. Emma was curious to know more.

"I heard that you helped Maddie a lot after her breakdown. I think it's sweet that you would reach out to her like that."

Diego's smiled became faint as he reflected on his encounters,"When I first saw her after she came back, Maddie was an absolute wreck. She was afraid of everything and everyone. Her nutty mother didn't help the situation either. So, Maddie was left in Mags' care. That's when I formally met her. At first, she was afraid that I would hurt her, just like another tribute had done to her boyfriend, who was in the arena with her. I promised that I would never do anything to hurt her, and our friendship began. W-, am I becoming obnoxious? If you want me to stop-"

"NO! No, keep going. You've stolen my attention." Emma was intrigued by Diego's story. He had already started it, so now he had no choice but to finish it.

"Alright. So, anyway, we first started talking about our experiences in the arena. You know, what we saw, how we won, why we did what we did, and so on. But, as time went on, we began to move away from our fears that we had, and began to talk about what we liked. I learned a lot about Maddie and she began to trust me as the days passed. Everyday, I would wake up at 6, shower, change and go to the corner bakery a block from our Victor's Circle. I would get Maddie a chocolate danish and a caramel latte and I would get a croissant and hot chocolate for myself. Then, I would walk to her house bring her her breakfast and we would sit and talk for hours. I would make her lunch everyday and we usually would go out for dinner or eat leftovers from the previous night. And though it sounds like it would get old after a while, it never did. One day, a few months before your Drawing, I decided that I trusted her enough to tell her my most confidential secret. I thought she would go crazy about it, but she didn't. She hugged me and told me that she would never tell anyone. I took advantage of the opportunity and kissed her for the first time. There was no reaction, and when I pulled away, I was kinda disappointed. Until she kissed me back. That was when I knew that no matter what happens, Maddie would be the only one that I would ever love. She stole my heart and she gave me hers. That's my story, any questions?"

"Just one, what was the secret? I'm guessing its something illegal." Diego chuckled and looked at the ground.

"Yeah you could say that." He brought his hand to Emma's ear and whispered,"I'm the last living Kanay."

Emma whispered back,"Well, to make it fair, Jax is a wizard and I'm a witch." Speaking of Jax, he had just stepped off the elevator as Diego waved goodbye to his new friend and stood next to Mags. Jax walked up to his girlfriend and wrapped his arm around her waist,"What were you talking about with Diego? Anything interesting?"

"I'll tell you after training; here comes Julio." The trainer walked in and barked,"You all know the rules, get to work!"

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><p>Emma had gone through 6 hours of intensive training and was exhausted. The tributes were released from training at 1 pm and left to rest for the next day. Emma had done edible plant identification, camouflage, trap building, and swimming (a new training station) and it wasn't even mid-afternoon! Jax wasn't feeling any better; he had done swimming, archery, knot-tying, edible plant identification, and shelter building. When he stepped out of the elevator, Emma and Lily had to literally carry him to the couch, where he was still sleeping. It was only 2:30 and the sun was shining for the first time in forever, so Emma decided to step out on to the balcony and get some from fresh air. She stared out over the Centroid's skyline and saw the mountains that surrounded the city on all sides. They looked so distant, despite being only about 40 miles away. They reminded Emma of the mountain range that separated Regions 8 and 12 from the rest of Contego. Suddenly, a pair of strong arms wrapped around Emma's waist and she knew that Jax had woken up from his cat nap.<p>

"They're beautiful, aren't they? Last year, I would come out here at night and just look at them. Sometimes, the wind would blow in from them and I could swear that it sounded like they were calling my name." Jax looked out at the mountains as well.

"Maybe the arena will have some mountains for you to explore, it'll give you something to look at during the night."

"Maybe. But it wouldn't be the same. The arena is fake. Those mountains, the trees, none of them would be real. These mountains, these trees, this love that we have," Jax took Emma's hand,"are what's real."


	9. Chapter 9: Training Day Two

**A/N: What did you think of Diego's little back story? I'll be expanding on it in my new story, Sea of Memories. Unfortunately, I won't be able to update after next week due to midterms and going to Boston for a high school Jazz competition Superbowl weekend. But once I'm back, I'll update more frequently!**

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><p>Chapter 9: Training Day 2<p>

Jax cradled Emma in his arms for as long as he could, which was only for about 30 seconds before they were interrupted by Lily.

"Hey! You two lovebirds should get in here. Ramona's gotta tell you something." The couple walked into the common area and saw Lily, Ramona, Cinna and Portia sitting on the couch. Ramona had two small packages with her.

"Good, you're here. Since you two have had to go through so much, I decided to get you each something." The escort handed them each a package, which they opened hesitantly. In Emma's, there was a shining gold mockingjay pin, exactly like the one her father had given her last year. In Jax's box, there was a gold necklace with a mockingjay engraved on a golden dog-tag. The teens were in shock. Ramona had done something that could have easily been interpreted as instigating a revolt. The mockingjay had become a rebellious symbol since the last Games. Emma walked over to Ramona and hugged her,"Thank you." Ramona returned the hug awkwardly while Jax continued to marvel at the necklace he had received.

That night, everyone ate dinner in silence. Jax excused himself from the table and went to bed. Emma went back to the balcony and saw that the mountains were now black. It was as if they reflected the state of the nation, because that night, 24 people in Region 8 were killed by Peacekeepers. They had been a part of an assassination plot to kill the Peacekeeper Colonel who was in charge of the Region's security. It had failed. Emma, not knowing this, then returned to her room, where Jax was already asleep. Smiling vaguely, she cupped his cheek in her hand and kissed his forehead gently, before changing into her pajamas and climbing into bed next to him.

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><p>There had been no nightmares that night. Jax and Emma were both fully rested and ready to tackle another day of training. They had already gone through hand to hand combat and knife throwing, when Emma saw Mags making elaborate fish hooks. She walked over to the elderly tribute and softly expressed her interest,"Those look amazing. I'll show you how to throw knives if you can teach me how to make fish hooks like that." The old woman looked up from her work, smiled, and nodded in agreement.<p>

Shortly after, Emma and Mags made their way over to a battle skill simulator, another new addition made by Agamemnon. Emma walked in and shut the door, while Mags watched through the viewing glass. Emma picked up her throwing knives and the simulation started. Instantly, there were pix-elated images of the other tributes attacking Emma. Naturally, she was able to dodge each attack and destroy every single image that she saw, all while, unknowingly, drawing a crowd of other -tributes to witness her ability. When she saw everyone, her face began to turn red and she walked out to receive her fish hook making lesson from Mags.

Once released from training, Emma and Jax returned to their spot on the balcony and watched the sun sink behind the mountains. When a gust blew in from the western mountains, Emma could have sworn that she heard her name and Jax's as well. It was almost as if the wind was trying to tell them to follow it and never look back. '_Maybe, if we had never come back. Maybe then,'_ she thought as Jax held her and listened to the wind call their names.

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><p><strong>I know, short chapter. I've been having some minor writer's block. The next chapter will be longer though!<strong>


	10. Chapter 10: The Final Day

**Sorry for taking so long! I've been trying to keep up with grades and midterms. Anyways, here's Chapter 10.**

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><p>Chapter 10: The Final Day<p>

The third day of training was awfully brutal. Jax had been fighting hand-to-hand combat for the entire day, and Emma had been trying to regain her endurance through an intensive obstacle course. During their lunch break, Diego walked up to the two teens and spoke in a hushed tone.

"I was able to convince Katie, Beetee and Wiress to join in an alliance with me. What about you two?" Emma nodded slightly, but Jax had a look that said he wasn't entirely convinced. Diego knew how to win him over,"Don't worry, Jax. You can trust me. I'm a Kanay." Once the word 'Kanay' reached Jax's ears, he agreed. The bell then tolled, signaling the end of the break.

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><p><em>'Only 10 minutes left.' <em>Emma thought to herself. The clock seemed to be ticking slower as each minute passed. Emma then noticed Beetee and Wiress standing aside from the rest of the tributes. They were pointing towards the Gamemakers and whispering in a hurried manner. The young witch couldn't help but ask them what was so intriguing.

"Excuse me," Beetee and Wiress turned and looked at Emma with surprise," what's so interesting about the Gamemakers?" Beetee chuckled and spoke in a quiet voice,"Well, ever since your little debacle with the Gamemakers last year, the Centroid has been providing extra means of caution for the Game officials." Emma was confused and the Region 3 tributes could tell. Beetee moved her to where he was standing and pointed at the Gamemakers.

"Do you see that ripple effect in front of them? Its impossible to see unless you are looking at it from the right angle." Sure enough, there was a ripple-like glint coming from the right corner beneath the Gamemakers suite. Emma nodded. Wiress picked up from where her colleague had left off.

"That is a result from the light in the room catching on an irregular piece of a force field surrounding the suite. It is the same type of force field that is used in the arenas. But that irregular piece is a sort of, weak point. A kink in the armor, as it were." It was all making sense to her now. If that piece of the force field were destroyed by something, anything really, it would knock out the entire shield. The Region 3 tributes smiled as Emma realized what was going on.

The bell finally rang, signaling the end of training. Beetee and Wiress then made their way to the elevator as Jax walked over to Emma.

"What was that about?"

"Nothing, they were just helping me find a kink in the armor." Jax was confused and Emma yanked him to the elevator,"I'll explain later."

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><p>Lily and Ramona were watching the news when Jax and Emma returned. Lily called them over without turning her head. She couldn't turn away from what she was watching. She wanted to but she just couldn't.<p>

"Why? Wha-," Emma stopped mid-sentence when she saw what Lily was mesmerized by. On the TV, there was a live broadcast from Region 8. There were people throwing knives, and Molotov cocktails at Peacekeepers. The Peacekeepers were armed to the teeth and were firing on everyone in sight. On one of the buildings, Emma could see a mockingjay painted on the wall with words written underneath it. As the building was set on fire, Emma could see what the words said.

'_Long live the mockingjay.'_

"Oh my god." Emma clasped her hand over her mouth when the scene changed from the burning building to a pile of bodies that Peacekeepers were lighting on fire. Tears began to fill her eyes as she saw children, men and women covered in blood and screaming in pain. She turned away from the horrors on the screen and went to the balcony.

"Emma." Jax was behind her, his voice cracked when he said her name.

"Its all my fault. They think that I'm going to lead them in revolt. Its all my fault." Emma cried. Jax turned her around and wiped away her tears with his thumbs.

"No. Its not. 8 has always been unstable. It was only a matter of time-"

"Jax, you saw the mockingjay. Its my fault."

"Emma, look at me." Reluctantly, Emma looked up at her boyfriend,"Torres wants you to believe that its your fault. She wants you to break down and fall apart because then she'll be able to control you. But you can't let that happen. Promise me you won't let that happen."

Emma wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered,"I promise."

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><p><strong>Sorry for another short chapter but I'm still trying to get over this writer's block!<strong>


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